REDACTED

So at first I was really into this. Then I said let me keep listening. And haaaaaaaaaa!! Absolutely crazy! I love how it’s different “monsters” every episode but characters continue to build their personality.

This sort of show, the X-Files a like with a minor twist, the SCP Foundation sans its serial numbers feels like a dime a dozen. Even rarer is such a show that manages to make me listen to more than an episode or two. The pacing and delivery is plenty compelling, and while some of the comedy comes off a little sitcom-y the rest manages to land. I would suggest this to others readily.

Title says it all, this show has everything - secret identities, flesh eating wallpaper, ruthless PR, a heartwarming Christmas episode…the list goes on. If you love the aforementioned and much, much more, then REDACTED is the pod for you.

I love The Cellar Letters (will it come back? Is Bella OK?) and other pods by people involved with Redacted, and couldn’t wait to listen. Unlike so many things these days, it doesn’t disappoint. (Phew!) It’s so nice to have a show that’s smart, funny, and weird without being too dark. The storylines and characters are interesting and all the performances are excellent, with one example: Lyssa Jay as Agent Sloan in the debrief segments. She’s good in Woe.Begone – one of my top two favorite podcasts ever - but here she’s the auditory equivalent of a little kid wearing their parents’ shoes. She’s playing a senior employee but sounds younger and more immature than the others, and I’ve literally laughed (not bc the text was funny) when she has said things that are supposed to be stern or chastising because it sounds so ridiculous. It’s appropriate for this character to be world-weary, but to have someone who sounds like they’re in their early 20s in the role - clearly “playing” by sighing and sounding tired and jaded - just does not work. It sounds like she’s going to say, “dudes, it’s $5 margarita night - whooo!” in the next breath. It’s a case of miscasting, not her or the role. That said, I grit my teeth for the debrief sections because the dissonance between her delivery and the role is so jarring. Otherwise, I love the show! Thank you! (and don’t forget about Cellar Letters. Please!)

This is a lovely break from the dumpster fire that is the world, right now. It gives me the bit of downtime I need to recharge so I can get back to the fight against fas*ism!!